servantship

JESUS – LORD HIGH ABOVE ALL ELSE!

(February 20, 2023) Robert and Maureen McQuillan bring a timely challenge …

Happened to watch a recent Abbots Cross Congregational Church service (our ‘old’ church back in Northern Ireland) and heard an outstanding sermon by Reverend Philip Campbell. What a message! So well…

  • Structured perfectly,
  • Strongly principled,  
  • Sensitively preached.

Under an obvious Holy Spirit anointing, Philip clearly spoke convincingly from his heart on Philippians 3.

There was a sense of destiny as Philip – known for his easy-to-listen-to-and-absorb style – reminded his audience of God’s incredible goodness, the Christian’s need to take opportunities to share one’s faith and the gospel of Jesus and, forgetting past hindrances, move on this year under God’s directions into His plans for His spiritual children and church.

It triggered off the heart of this particular article!

Jesus highest
Philip Campbell knows the cost of the challenge of moving on as God declares!

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‘HELP! I FEEL I’M FALLING OFF THE EDGE OF A CLIFF…’

(November 22, 2022) Robert McQuillan shares encouragingly…

There’s an old joke about ‘Joe’… he’s strolling along a cliff edge one dark night. Suddenly he slips and falls over hurtling down towards the ocean way below. Somehow he manages to grab a thinnish tree branch jutting out from the cliff side… but although his plunge is halted, that branch begins to loosen ever so slowly.

‘Help’ Joe yells, hoping that someone else is coming along the clifftop. No response and he calls again, louder and more panicky. Silence. The branch loosens more. Yet another ‘Help’ but weaker this time. In desperation Joe somehow screams, ‘Is anybody there?’ carelessly adding, ‘OMG!’

About to give into certain death, Joe hears a soft voice say gently, ‘Yes? I’m here, Joe. What can I do?’ and although he can’t see up over the clifftop, calls, ‘Help me… please!’

‘Okay, Joe’ hears. ‘Just let go and trust me. You’ll be okay. I’ll catch you, Joe.’ The endangered, bewildered Joe is amazed! How does this stranger know my name? Let go and he’ll catch me? He’s crazy… how could he possibly save me when he’s up there? Hesitantly he mutters, ‘Er… let go and you’ll catch me?’ The response is a quiet ‘Yes, Joe.’ The branch loosens further and Joe, panicking more, asks, ‘Who is that? I can’t see you!’

Astounded, Joe hears the soft voice reply, ‘Why, it’s me… God. You did call me, didn’t you, Joe? Now let go and I’ll catch you in my arms.’

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YOUR DECISION DETERMINES YOUR DESTINY!

(August 04, 2022) S. Sam Selva Raj challenges Christians to determine their destiny…

Everyone has a unique calling from God; He leads each of us in different ways. Our callings may be different – but the decisions we make determine our destination.

Take Elijah and Elisha for example… and Gehazi, Elisha’s helper.

1. Elijah
God called Elijah to serve as His prophet, and to challenge an evil king (1 Kings 17:1). His decision not to hold back determined his destination.

God’s choice is not necessarily based on one’s educational qualifications, financial standing or family background. Elijah’s qualification was that he was always ready to listen to God’s voice and do what He said.

Now Ahab, Israel’s king, was eviler than any king before him. He had God’s people worshipping Baal, a pagan god (I Kings 16:30-32)!

But God dealt with him through Elijah who was –

(i) Dutiful
Someone whose faith on God was very great, Elijah didn’t fear the consequences of presenting the Lord’s word to this evil king.

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‘A MAN NAMED EZRA’

(May 07, 2022) Brian Bell challenges us to be a worthy servant like ‘a man named Ezra’ …

With these four almost inconspicuous words contained in chapter 7 of the book of Ezra, we are introduced to the character of Ezra.

The book of Ezra tells us about the return of Jewish exiles from Babylon, beginning with those who returned with Zerubbabel and at a later time with Ezra. Ezra and the other exiles who returned to Jerusalem with him, got there about 13 years before the return of Nehemiah and other exiles, described in the book of Nehemiah.

The primary action carried out by the returning exiles as described in Ezra, was the reconstruction of the temple led by Zerubbabel, Ezra’s role is what I would describe as leading ‘spiritual renewal’ or ‘revival’ while the focus of Nehemiah was the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls which is replete with spiritual applications.

I believe both Ezra and Nehemiah could be said to be men who were ‘directed’ by the Holy Spirit, while those words are not specifically used when speaking of them, I believe it is borne out in the scriptural descriptions given of them. In this meditation I will share only some thoughts about Ezra.

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